The Horned Serpents of Hogwarts

While your Hogwarts House describes your “why” or your motivating values, your Ilvermorny House describes your “how” or your approach to life. Horned Serpent House is also known as the House of the mind, and Horned Serpents are those who use their minds as their primary tool. These Hogwarts students are scholars, philosophers, truth-seekers, experimenters, and exemplary Horned Serpents.

 

1. Hermione Granger

 

 

Hermione Granger is of course the brightest witch of her age, but her brilliance is not her only qualifying trait; her knowledge is her reference point for the rest of the world. Hermione takes plenty of risks but only does so when she’s confident in her own abilities and in the outcome of her own actions. When confronted with a situation like the potions instructions of the Half-Blood Prince or Harry’s insistence that Sirius is being tortured, she is hesitant to act until she knows more. Her opinions of people are based on what she objectively knows about them; she trusts Snape because Dumbledore trusts him but is highly skeptical of Luna until she proves herself to be a staunch ally.

 

2. Garrick Ollivander

 

 

Attempting to unlock the mysteries of wandlore takes not only brilliance but also immense mental fortitude. Ollivander’s natural curiosity and experimental flair drive his creation of the most powerful wands. He is the first of his family to take a more philosophical approach to wandcraft; whereas his ancestors would tailor wands to the requests of their customers, Ollivander stuck to three powerful magical cores and a selection of magical woods, as well as maintaining the belief that “the wand chooses the wizard,” in his pursuit of the ideal wand. As a devoted inventor, philosopher, and pursuer of knowledge, Ollivander is an exemplary Horned Serpent.

 

3. Rita Skeeter

 

 

Knowledge is a powerful weapon in the hands of Rita Skeeter, and the more she knows, the farther in life she can get. The more information she can absorb from her surroundings, using methods varying in their legality, the more information she has with which to blackmail people into giving her even more knowledge and propelling her to the heights of prestige. Her only assets are her cunning mind and astonishing powers of manipulation in communication; without an outlet for these, she wastes away remarkably quickly.

 

4. Arthur Weasley

 

 

Arthur Weasley devotes his life to gathering knowledge about the Muggles that he and his fellow wizards coexist with and using his knowledge to write laws that protect them. Arthur is not one to take a powerful mind for granted; he vastly admires the genius of Muggles where most wizards turn their noses up at them. He keeps an open mind in looking to the Muggle lifestyle for solutions to problems wizards take for granted. He has a knack for finding the brilliance in people and things that other wizards find mundane or irrelevant. Arthur Weasley uses his knowledge to fight for the rights of all oppressed people.

 

5. Fred and George Weasley

 

 

To Fred and George, the value of knowledge lies in its utility. Grades and coursework do not matter to them so long as they have an arsenal of practical knowledge, skills, and talents. They use their creativity and ingenuity to disrupt Umbridge’s reign of terror at Hogwarts, provide inventive solutions to all problems – from boredom in class to the dangers of Lord Voldemort’s rise – and above all, make people smile. Fred and George use their brilliance to brighten the world in its darkest hours. Their enterprising, resourceful, and imaginative minds are truly their defining feature and greatest asset.

 

6. Dumbledore and Grindelwald

 

 

 

 

Dumbledore and Grindelwald have the capacity to think through the world’s most challenging ethical and philosophical dilemmas and arrive at a solution long before anyone else realizes any problem exists. Grindelwald knows that both Muggles and wizards suffer due to their segregation and comes to the conclusion that exposing the wizarding world would be the best way to end that suffering. Naturally, the more powerful wizards will come to dominate over Muggles, as Albus puts it, “for the Muggles’ own good.” Dumbledore cares deeply about Harry – and even irrationally withholds the truth about the prophecy based on his love for Harry – but ultimately knows that the boy must sacrifice himself to end Voldemort’s reign of terror. They both understand the necessity for powerful people to put their personal feelings aside and use their knowledge and skill to effect change at a higher level.